CHAPTER
ONE
One afternoon, Zac Power was shopping for cool new sneakers at the Westbridge Mall.
Zac was a bit of an expert on the subject of being cool. He was 12 years old, and he worked as a spy for the Government Investigation Bureau, or GIB for short.
As he shopped, Zac watched out for people he knew. He didnât want anyone from school to think he cared how he looked. That would be try-hard.
At Hot Diggity, the hot-dog shop, Ann and her best friend Lucy were giggling into their milkshakes. Girls!
His favourite CD shop, Tunez, was full of kids from school. The whole world seemed to be hanging out at Westbridge.
But Zac slipped by them all, unnoticed.
Zac headed towards Sports Station. Inside, the music was so loud the walls were shaking. It was rock music, the only kind Zac liked. Sports Station had the best sneakers at Westbridge. Zacâs favourites were a pair with green and yellow stripes on the side.
Zac picked them up. Straight away, a sales guy bounced over. A plastic nametag on a cord around his neck read, âDavoâ.
âYou all right, mate?â asked Davo.
âCan I try these? Sizeâ¦uhâ¦eight?â Zac said.
âNo worries. Iâll go check out the back.â
The sales guy disappeared into the storeroom. Zac waited. He looked at some T-shirts. No sales assistant. He picked up a magazine and checked out the photos of kids skateboarding down stair-rails in the latest clothes. Still no Davo.
What is he doing out there?
Suddenly, Davo reappeared, a shoebox in his hand and a weird look on his face.
âWe didnât have size eight in the green and yellow. But why donât you try these?â
He opened the box. Inside, Zac saw a pair of the ugliest sneakers ever . They were grey, the colour of belly-button fluff. The soles were twice as thick as ordinary sneakers. They were covered in wires and flashing lights.
âNah, thatâs OK, thanks,â said Zac, heading for the door.
âCome on! Theyâre limited edition. I guarantee no-one elseâll have a pair like them.â
Zac rolled his eyes. âNo-one would want to!â
Davo pulled the grey sneakers out of the box.
âJust try âem.â
Heaving a big sigh, Zac grabbed the shoes and pulled them on. They felt even worse than they looked!
As soon as his foot was inside, clamps grabbed Zacâs ankles. He stood up and couldnât help wobbling as he took a step. Each sneaker must have weighed about 100 kilos.
âWhat do you think?â asked Davo.
Zac shook his head. âI might wait âtil you get the others in.â
âOh, come on, Zac. Just take them.â
Zac? How did this guy know his name?
Davo leant over to pick up the box. His nametag flipped over and Zac caught a glimpse of the back.
Was it? Yes, it was! The GIB crest!
Davo grabbed Zac by the arm and whispered in his ear, âTheyâre yours, OK? Now get out of here.â
Before Zac could stop him, Davo disappeared with Zacâs old sneakers. Great! Now Zac had to walk all the way home in the weird grey sneakers.
He stepped out of Sports Station. Ann and Lucy had finished their milkshakes and gone home. Perhaps he was safeâ¦
Thenâ¦
KERRY - BOOOOOOM!
There was an ear-splitting explosion. A cloud of white smoke. The gross grey sneakers had exploded!
Zac shot up off the ground. He flew through the air, propelled by his exploding sneakers.They had the force of ten rockets. No, make that 100 rockets!
Zac shot past Hot Diggity. Tunez was a blur. He was flying towards a set of lifts. The metal doors were closed. Yikes! He was going to smash right into them.
At the very last second, the lift doors opened. And suddenly, Zac was falling. He looked up and saw the lift stuck high above him. He was falling straight down the lift well.
Round and round, faster and faster he fell in a mid-air forward roll.
At the bottom of the lift well, Zac landed with a thud on hard, cold concrete. Lucky
ONE
One afternoon, Zac Power was shopping for cool new sneakers at the Westbridge Mall.
Zac was a bit of an expert on the subject of being cool. He was 12 years old, and he worked as a spy for the Government Investigation Bureau, or GIB for short.
As he shopped, Zac watched out for people he knew. He didnât want anyone from school to think he cared how he looked. That would be try-hard.
At Hot Diggity, the hot-dog shop, Ann and her best friend Lucy were giggling into their milkshakes. Girls!
His favourite CD shop, Tunez, was full of kids from school. The whole world seemed to be hanging out at Westbridge.
But Zac slipped by them all, unnoticed.
Zac headed towards Sports Station. Inside, the music was so loud the walls were shaking. It was rock music, the only kind Zac liked. Sports Station had the best sneakers at Westbridge. Zacâs favourites were a pair with green and yellow stripes on the side.
Zac picked them up. Straight away, a sales guy bounced over. A plastic nametag on a cord around his neck read, âDavoâ.
âYou all right, mate?â asked Davo.
âCan I try these? Sizeâ¦uhâ¦eight?â Zac said.
âNo worries. Iâll go check out the back.â
The sales guy disappeared into the storeroom. Zac waited. He looked at some T-shirts. No sales assistant. He picked up a magazine and checked out the photos of kids skateboarding down stair-rails in the latest clothes. Still no Davo.
What is he doing out there?
Suddenly, Davo reappeared, a shoebox in his hand and a weird look on his face.
âWe didnât have size eight in the green and yellow. But why donât you try these?â
He opened the box. Inside, Zac saw a pair of the ugliest sneakers ever . They were grey, the colour of belly-button fluff. The soles were twice as thick as ordinary sneakers. They were covered in wires and flashing lights.
âNah, thatâs OK, thanks,â said Zac, heading for the door.
âCome on! Theyâre limited edition. I guarantee no-one elseâll have a pair like them.â
Zac rolled his eyes. âNo-one would want to!â
Davo pulled the grey sneakers out of the box.
âJust try âem.â
Heaving a big sigh, Zac grabbed the shoes and pulled them on. They felt even worse than they looked!
As soon as his foot was inside, clamps grabbed Zacâs ankles. He stood up and couldnât help wobbling as he took a step. Each sneaker must have weighed about 100 kilos.
âWhat do you think?â asked Davo.
Zac shook his head. âI might wait âtil you get the others in.â
âOh, come on, Zac. Just take them.â
Zac? How did this guy know his name?
Davo leant over to pick up the box. His nametag flipped over and Zac caught a glimpse of the back.
Was it? Yes, it was! The GIB crest!
Davo grabbed Zac by the arm and whispered in his ear, âTheyâre yours, OK? Now get out of here.â
Before Zac could stop him, Davo disappeared with Zacâs old sneakers. Great! Now Zac had to walk all the way home in the weird grey sneakers.
He stepped out of Sports Station. Ann and Lucy had finished their milkshakes and gone home. Perhaps he was safeâ¦
Thenâ¦
KERRY - BOOOOOOM!
There was an ear-splitting explosion. A cloud of white smoke. The gross grey sneakers had exploded!
Zac shot up off the ground. He flew through the air, propelled by his exploding sneakers.They had the force of ten rockets. No, make that 100 rockets!
Zac shot past Hot Diggity. Tunez was a blur. He was flying towards a set of lifts. The metal doors were closed. Yikes! He was going to smash right into them.
At the very last second, the lift doors opened. And suddenly, Zac was falling. He looked up and saw the lift stuck high above him. He was falling straight down the lift well.
Round and round, faster and faster he fell in a mid-air forward roll.
At the bottom of the lift well, Zac landed with a thud on hard, cold concrete. Lucky
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